Triple T Studios Wool-Blend Gloves Are Cozy and Cute

The cold weather has arrived here in Minnesota and, once again, I've been taking inventory of my winter gear. I somehow lose hats and single gloves -- I have no idea how that happens. Maybe the gloves go to that that place where single socks retire -- a secret hideaway where they live it up, partying 24/7 and laughing at us humans who sit perplexed, questioning their whereabouts.

Just as I was mourning the loss of a few single gloves, the calvary arrived! That's right -- my friends at Triple T Studios™ offered to send me not one -- but two pairs of gloves. I absolutely adore the Triple T merch -- and I needed gloves -- so of course I gratefully accepted.

I love both pairs of gloves, but am especially enamored by the cashmere-wool blend gray ones. The embroidered black cat is classy and sassy, and I find them warm, comfortable, and super cute with my black coat. Not only are they cool, they have touch points for technology on the thumb and index fingers. I've been wearing these sweet things nearly every day.

The Sweet Annie Cat Gloves are pretty in pink with a cute little embroidered image of Annie the cat. These wool-blend gloves are cozy and whimsical. Like the grey ones, they come with touch points for technology. 

Looking for a cat-tastic holiday gift for a cat lover in your life? These gloves are the perfect fit, Speaking of fit, they come in both medium and large sizes. 

You'll GLOVE them!

Tidy Cats Direct and Amazon Prime Membership Giveaway!

We are a member of the Tidy Cats Insiders and are being compensated to help spread the word about Tidy Cats cat litter. Catladyland only shares information we think would be of interest to our readers. The opinions are our own.

What's your favorite part of life with cats? Don't say "cleaning the litter box" because you'd be a big fat liar. No one likes the "doody duty." Litter box maintenance is, however, one of the tasks that comes along with cat ownership.

Here's some scoop for you: Tidy Cats has a brand new product called Tidy Cats Direct. Curious? Of course you are. Get this -- it's a disposable, all-in-one, one-time-use litter box that you can easily order online and have shipped to your door.

It's pre-filled with Tidy Cats LightWeight 24/7 Performance clumping litter to provide constant control. TidyLock Protection locks away urine, fecal, and ammonia odors. Each disposable box contains enough litter to last up to one month for one cat with typical use. All you have to do is open, scoop, toss, and replace! easy-peasy.

I was excited to give Tidy Cats Direct a try because anything that makes litter box maintenance easier is, well, worth a try. It arrived looking like a regular cardboard box. I'm not one who's known for following directions, but I wanted to make sure I opened the box properly, so I located the instructions on the box. Super simple. All I had to do was peel, pull back, and fold under. Voila! Litter box!

Cosmo and Phoebe were curious, of course. Any time I do anything with their litter box areas, they have to be all up in my business. I suppose they consider the boxes their "property," and I suppose their right. I'd be curious if they were making changes to my toilet. Little kitty plumbers -- cute!

The cats used the box for a full month and maintenance was a breeze. They took to the new addition just fine, and I continued with my usual scooping schedule. One might think the cardboard would allow for leaking, but no way. There's an anti-leak coating on the box. Science!

Another cool feature is the little lip that runs along the box's edge. It helps keep the litter inside the box, which is key for me because my Phoebe is a champion kicker. Another feature I appreciate is the lack of dust clouds because there's no pouring. That means less sneezing for Phoebe, who's also a championship sneezer.

When the life of the litter box had come to an end, all I had to do was close the flap and toss it. For real. That easy. Since I didn't have to scrub litter boxes, here's what I had time to do:

• File my nails
• Make a smoothie (banana blueberry with some flax seeds, in case you're wondering)
• Blow raspberries on my cat's belly and try not to get my face rabbit-kicked off
• Dispense cat treats
• Take a Facebook quiz to discover my celebrity look-alike 

Really???

SO ... now comes the part where you get even more excited. Tidy Cats and Catladyland are giving one lucky winner the opportunity to win their own one-year Amazon Prime membership (or a $99 gift card if you already have a membership) and two months' worth of Tidy Cats Direct.

To qualify, enter via the Rafflecopter widget below AND comment on this blog post with what you would do with the time saved from the convenience of Tidy Cats Direct. You have to do BOTH, and there are also additional opportunities. Although Tidy Cats will only ship to U.S. addresses, readers outside the country are welcome to enter and, should they win, can donate their prize to a U.S. shelter or friend.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Shop Cats of New York

Yes, I'm slightly biased because I consider Tamar Arslanian, the author of Shop Cats of New York,  a good friend. Yes, I'm kind of partial because New York City is my favorite place. OK, I like cats ... a lot. What I'm trying to convey is that it was a no-brainer when Tamar asked me to review her new book.

Since I was a little girl, I've been ecstatic when I notice a cat hanging out in a shop. I swear it's still like a awesome surprise to me. I often become giddy and completely forgot why I'd visited the store in the first place. And then, after that day, I'd find an excuse to frequent that particular store. I love learning that the kitties are well cared for and loved by the owners, employees, and customers. They work hard, after all, and are the best hosts and hostesses ever. Never mind all the nap breaks -- they deserve them!

Tamar, also the author of the popular blog, I Have Cat, Single in the City with Cat(s), wrote Shop Cats of New York because, well, she's like me. She loves noticing cats "working" in shops, and decided she'd do a little research and share the stories of the kitties who call the shops of New York City "home."

She made a fantastic choice in asking Andrew Marttila, a gifted photographer, to capture the images of the cats in the book. He and Tamar both have the lovely ability to truly acquaint the readers with the feline "employees."

Shop Cats of New York is an easy read because it's categorized by cat. It's the perfect coffee table book and gift for your cat-loving friends. I feel so grateful that Tamar and Andrew took the time to feature these felines who are loved by locals, but virtually unknown to those of us who live outside of NYC. Now I need a destination vacation to meet all of these cats!

Cosmo's jealous and mesmerized about what happens outside his four walls.

You can purchase Shop Cats of New York on Amazon, or anywhere you buy books. Be sure to follow Shop Cats on Facebook and Instagram.

Need to see more? Of course you do. Here's a short promotional trailer for this must-have book!

 

The publisher gave us a copy of Shop Cats of New York; however, Catladyland only shares information we think our readers would enjoy.

Treats for Little Cats Help Big Cat Rescue

My cats think they're giant wildcats. Cosmo and Phoebe wrestle like they're being filmed for an episode of Wild Kingdom, and their attitudes are nothing short of majestic. My seven-pound Phoebe walks with such swagger that I call her Simba. Seriously ... that cat's got some mega swagger. Little cats think they can do anything, and, with a little help from some friends, they've just kicked it up a notch.

Getting their Wild Kingdom on. 

H-3 Essentials, the family-owned, high-quality pet supplement company recently launched its first line of freeze dried cat treats that are all-natural and grain/gluten free. I know that in itself is pretty cool, but it gets better. H-3 has partnered with Chris Poole of Cole & Marmalade™, IHeartCats.com, and Pure Formulas to kick off the "Little Cats Helping Big Cats" campaign. Here's where the "big cats" part comes in: Every purchase from the new line of cat treats benefits Big Cat Rescue, an accredited sanctuary for big cats in Tampa, FL that's home to over 80 lions, tigers, bobcats, cougars, and other big cats that have been abandoned, neglected or abused.

Would you believe the story gets even better? Well, hang onto your hats because it does! The idea to help the big cats came from the 12-year-old son of Steve Watters, a pet industry veteran. During a recent family visit to Big Cat Rescue, his son asked what they could do to directly help the cats in the sanctuary. "We wanted to do something bigger than just make a donation. We wanted to help other cat lovers make a difference too," explained Watters. "People lead busy lives and it can be hard to set aside time to give back. By developing this new line of cat treats, we are making it easy for people to help these beautiful exotic cats."

Boxes! Big cats love 'em as much as Cole & Marmalade do!

Cosmo, Phoebe, and I were eager to help spread the word and they, of course, wanted to test the treats before they put their stamp of approval on them. When the box arrived containing one bag of each flavor, the cats just about lost their minds. You'd think it was Christmas in July. Treats! Yay!

Phoebe: "I assume these are all for me."

Although they enjoyed all the varieties, they especially dug the rabbit. I love that they're freeze dried and grain free. Tasty, healthy, and helping Big Cat Rescue? Um, YES!

Cosmo waits (sort of) patiently for rabbit treats.

To explain more about the treats and the benefit to Big Cat Rescue, here's our friend Chris from the always entertaining Cole & Marmalade.

So right about now you're probably thinking, "Where can I buy these treats? I want to help Big Cat Rescue!" I happen to have that information for you, friends. Each bag is $7.99 and is available through H-3 Essentials. Go ahead and order -- your little cat wants to help and (he's not gonna lie) also wants some tasty treats. 

Disclosure: This is a paid review and H-3 Essentials provided free treats; however, Catladyland only shares information we think would be of interest to our readers. The opinions are our own.

Pet Tree Houses Gave My Cats a Window to the World

In January, Cosmo and I moved from a 2,000-square foot house to a one-bedroom apartment, with plans of Phoebe joining us in a few months. The move was an adjustment for all of us. One of the biggest changes was the lack of windows in the new place. Our house had a multitude of windows, but the new loft only had two small ones with a large one positioned on top of them. Don't worry about trying to picture what I'm describing -- here's a photo.

The "before" pic. No lookout perch for kitties. 

My kitties had no easy way of checking out the world beyond our walls, which is one of their favorite hobbies. And I couldn't find a cat tree that provided really high lookout perches that matched the height of my windows. Just to give you some reference, the bottom of the larger window is about 7.5 feet off the ground.

Thankfully, a fellow cat writer connected me to Pet Tree Houses, a Florida-based company that builds exactly what I needed. They took my window measurements and, in a few weeks, sent me a photo of what they'd created. I was blown away!

Come to Mama!

It looked huge! I guess it needed to be if I wanted my cats to have a proper view. 

The cool thing about Pet Tree Houses is that they're made of all-natural materials. The perches are cedar and the carpet pieces are easily removable for cleaning or replacement. The leaves are silk, but the most unique part, to me, is the trunk. The trunk is a genuine tree trunk, and comes from a rare species of tree found in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. It's dense, durable, and flexible. Perfect!

Newly unpacked components. Let's hear it for color-coding!

The tree house's parts arrived in two large boxes. When I unpacked them, everything was carefully labeled and the instructions were easy-to-follow and concise. 

Assembly? Easy peasy! Thanks, Julia!

My friend Julia, an engineer, came over to help me assemble the tree house. She's an expert at assembling just about anything ... and I am not. She said she was expecting it might be quite the task, but after we dug in, admitted the directions were some of the best she'd ever seen. Everything was expertly labeled and color-coded. Heck, even I could have put it together alone. She followed up with a rave review about the overall quality of the tree. 

Inspector Cosmo's job is never done.

Of course, Cosmo had to "help" with assembly -- or at least thoroughly inspect everything to make sure we we weren't making any mistakes. You know how we humans are.

Newly assembled! Yay!

All told, it took us about two hours to assemble the tree house and only needed a few tools. A screwdriver is necessary, but I recommend a drill for quicker results. Also, your hand will thank you. Not really, but if it could talk, it'd say, "Thanks for using a drill!"

After we placed the tree house in the corner, it was clear the perches were at absolutely ideal levels for maximum kitty lookouts. 

I placed a cat bed on one of the perches. Phoebe approves.

I was wondering how each of my cats would respond to the giant tree in the corner of the room. Of course I wanted them both to jump from perch to perch, spending hours looking outside, spying on humans and birdies. 

Can you see Cosmo on the right? he's up there!

Well, my dream partially came true. Phoebe, my little adventurer was all over the place. She raced to the top, hung out on the middle perches, hid among the leaves, scratched like crazy on the rope, and was totally enthralled with the outside view. Cosmo? Well, he was another story. He only made it to the top when I placed him there ... and then he immediately looked for a way to the bottom. He loves the tree house, but is more of a ground dweller, and spends loads of time on the very bottom area, but does venture to the middle sections from time to time. 

Birds! People! Cars!

While we put the tree house together, a small part of me worried it would look monstrous in my small space, but it really doesn't! It's such a pretty piece of furniture and blends in well with everything else in my living room. Plus it adds a much-needed splash of green to my space. 

Look how nicely it complements my living area!

When you visit the Pet Tree Houses site, you'll notice they offer models of various sizes, so you don't have to choose one that's super tall.

In fact, Pet Tree Houses is giving Catladyland readers a 10% discount on the purchase of a tree house. Use code CLL10 at checkout (offer expires 9/30/16). Deal!

I'm incredibly pleased with my Pet Tree House. It's clear a lot of time, thought, and care were put into its design an construction.  It's truly a work of art, and now my cats can be nosey neighbors!

Pet Tree Houses provided a free tree for this review.  Catladyland only shares information we think would be of interest to our readers. The opinions are our own.

Win a Copy of Catify to Satisfy by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin

Our cats are beloved family members, and creating comfortable, safe areas for them in our homes is key. We all want to feel "at home" when we're at home, right? Nobody knows more about getting inside a cat's head, and designing feline-friendly spaces than Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin.

I was super excited to receive a review copy of their newest book, Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home. It's the perfect follow-up to their first collaboration, the New York Times Bestseller, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You).

Jackson and Kate, the dynamic duo!

I want to do cool things for my cats, but I'm someone who becomes easily overwhelmed with the prospect of DIY projects. Plus, I've never really considered myself a handy person. When I get the confidence to try something, I always surprise myself. What he heck? I am kinda handy! "Kinda" is the key word here -- but still, it's a start!

I'll be straight with you. The main reason I'm in love with Catify to Satisfy is that it gives me complete confidence that I can indeed create interesting, fun, and cat-friendly areas in my home. I feel like Martha Stewart when I read this book ... except without the prison background. 

I can do this!

The book of packed with photos, along with detailed instructions for creating simple design tricks to enrich your cat's environment. Jackson and Kate are the perfect team because he focuses on teaching us about cat behavior and the reasons behind cats' preferences, and then she shows us easy and advanced ways to support the behavior by using our creativity and applying the coolest design hacks. She had me at "hack." I can do "hack"

Form and function.

I especially connected with the "Faces in the Nation" sections that feature how real people, inspired by love for their cats, created unique catification projects. Their stories are heartfelt and fun, and they demonstrate the variety of ways we can each put our personal stamp on our passion projects. 

Catification can happen indoors and outdoors.

Catify to Satisfy is a must-read for anyone who shares their space with a cat. It's educational, inspiration, and a totally fun read.

You, my friends, can win your very own copy of Catify to Satisfy!  Here are the details:

• Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.
• Giveaway runs now through midnight Central, November 26, 2015.
• U.S. only.
• Giveaway subject to change.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was given a review copy of Catify to Satisfy; however, Catladyland only shares information we think would be of interest to our readers. The opinions are our own.

Triple T Studios Won Me Over With the Refined Feline Wallet

I'm beyond particular when it comes to wallets. I tend to find the "perfect" one and then use it until it falls apart because, well, it's perfect. I require certain compartments: one for receipts, one for business cards and other misc. small pieces of paper, and one for mystery items that don't seem to belong anywhere. I also must have an adequate number of slots for my driver's license, credit cards, library cards and of course my Costco card. The wallet has to have a decent-sized compartment for coins. A wallet is like a good bra -- it must be a perfect fit.

Joanne and I at CatConLA.

I met up with my friend Joanne McGonagle of The Tiniest Tiger and Triple T Studios while I was at CatConLA in June. Triple T just has the cutest items. Aside from being particular regarding wallets, I'm also picky when it comes to cat-themed items, in general. Her offerings are top notch and classy -- just like her!

Two color options!

As I was perusing the merchandise at her CatConLA booth, my eyes fell on the Refined Feline wallet. At first glance, it looked like a nice size, but I questioned its ability to hold my must-carry items. I grabbed one (politely, of course) and unzipped it to find a veritable wonderland of compartments! OK, I was hooked. I needed this wallet, and to be honest, my old was was getting pretty threadbare. Joanne agreed to send me a wallet to try. Of course, I was thrilled at the prospect of a new wallet! I couldn't wait to see if it would be as perfect as a well-fitted bra.

Ohhh, roomy!

I received the package and quickly transferred all my important wallet cargo from the old to the new one. Guess what? It all fit, and I was even able to zip without completely busting the cute little bag. The site claims most cell phones fit inside the wallet, and my iPhone 6 did indeed fit. There's a removable strap for the wallet, so you can leave the strap on and carry it as a small purse -- cell phone and all. Cool!

Please note the detachable handle. Handy!

Here's the general 411 about the Refined Feline Wallet from Triple T Studios -- you can visit the site for more details and to order the discounted item!

• Available in beige and black.
• Made of poly-synthetic, water-resistant leather.
• 8-inches long, 4-inches wide, and 1-inch deep.

My refined feline approves.

If you're as picky about wallets as I am, I suggest taking a look. Again, it's discounted, and the holidays are closer than we think! You know it's true.

Triple T Studios provided us with free product, but Catladyland only shares information we think is valuable to our readers. Triple T Studios isn't responsible for the content of this post.

Make Your Cat the Star of a Book With the Free Animal Tales App! #read4animals

You know your cat is a total star -- mine are too. They like to think they're celebrities, anyway -- right? Well, now you can create a customized book starring your cat (or dog or rabbit or snake or guinea pig ... you get this picture) using the free Animal Tales iOS app that's available for iPhones and iPads in the iTunes store (Android app coming winter of 2015).

It's from the same people who brought you ResQWalk, the app for iPhone and Android users that lets you raise money for your favorite rescue while you take your walk. I use it all the time, and I know some of you do too. If you don't, get on it!

So I wanted to give Animal Tales a try, and Phoebe obliged. Well, I guess she didn't willingly oblige, but she's so used to my taking photos of her that she didn't bat an eye. "Here come the paparazzi again."

So I downloaded the app and chose one of three stories: "Your Pet's Amazing Search for a Home." All I had to do was upload a pic of Phoeebs, enter her name and that she's a female, and the app did the rest! Seriously, it was that easy. Going forward, there will be one story a week added to the catalog.

Phoebe!

After the book is completed, there's an opportunity to share it digitally with friends and family, or you can pay $12 (U.S. shipping included) for a 5"x5" softcover book. And it gets even cooler: If you choose to order the softcover book, 20% of the sales goes to benefit animal rescue.

"Our vision with Animal Tales was to create a unique, easy-to-use product for animal lovers to have fun with," said Animal Tales founder Bailey Schroeder. "I think we've achieved that goal and I'm excited to see the response."

If you're an iPhone or iPad user, check out the app here! You can also learn more about the Animal Tales on their site ... and don't forget to follow them on Twitter!


This post is sponsored by Animal Tales. I was paid to blog about Animal Tales, but Catladyland only shares information and products we feel are relevant to our readers. Animal Tales is not responsible for the content of this article.